3 Things Your Boss Needs to Know About Millennials (1 min read)

Millionaire’s Digest Team, Contributor, Business and Successful Living Writer

A millennial is defined as an individual who reaches young adulthood in the 2000’s. They are known as the generation that was born into the era of technology. They are a new addition to the world of work, and they seem to work a little bit differently than the generations before them. Here are a few myths about this new, tech-savvy generation that has entered the workforce that need to be debunked.

Myth 1: Millennials are only focused on their smartphones.

They may be on our smartphones a lot, whether they are at work, at school, or just out living their lives, but just because their head is down, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t listening. Quite often, they hear what you are saying, and they are already on Google to find more information on the topic to move on to next steps. Alternatively, they may be task switching in order to be productive and get shit done while participating in a conversation (Example: Your Millenial can share a post on Facebook, scroll through Twitter and click a link to an article on, “Increasing Productivity,”update an appointment in their calendar, and text mom to remind her that they’re coming over for dinner, all while listening to a meeting discussion and contributing to the conversation)!

Myth 2: Millennials prefer to bounce around from job to job.

Millenials were born into a generation where information is easily accessible, and they are always looking for more. Statistics may show that millennials spend less time in one job and have more jobs overall in their lifetime, but the reason for constantly moving is because they are constantly learning and constantly delivering! They are always seeking new opportunities to learn, grow, and demonstrate their skills, and with the number of tech-savvy jobs out there today, they just happen to have more options available to them.

Myth 3: Millennials are entitled and expect frequent promotions.

Millenials like to keep moving. They like a challenge, and they like variety. They like responsibility and autonomy. Staying at the same level, doing the same type of work, with limited responsibility is boring for millennials! They feel that they have lots to contribute, and they are just looking for the opportunity to prove it. Be mindful of the type of work that you give your millennial employees, and keep challenging them to improve retention.

I wish this was specific to millennials, but the reality is that people of all ages are looking for ways to grow and influence their work and by extension bring meaning to their own lives. Being mindful about what drives a person helps to bring meaning to the type of challenges you set for them and inspires an engaged and happy relationship. Constantly finding new work is not always the answer, rather meaningful work is the way forward at all age levels.